Containment
by JK Xeno
Summary: A mysterious accident leads Mike on a twisiting journey to discover what really happened two weeks ago at a postfootballgame party. But what he finds out may get him into something way over his head...
1. Prologue

Containment 

Prologue

_--------------/0340Hours/ 3rd Shift/ Subject 09_

"Crap I'm cold", the guard croaked as he swallowed the stale dregs of his coffee, but his complaint fell on the deaf ears of his sleeping partner in the back of the old van. "Damn, another 3 hours until the next shift, why did I even volunteer for this?" he thought. It wasn't that hard, watch some punk kids for 6 hours, then report on em, but for what reason? Did they really plan on going through with the experiments? What would happen if… no best not to think of it. Not my problem." Flicking a burnt stub of a cigarette out the window, he shifted his weight in the seat and got as comfortable as possible. He set his watch and closed his eyes "Who would know?" he thought. Three more hours… As he fell asleep, a young boy stirred on two of the monitors, turned over, and was still.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 

"Dammit mom I'm coming!" Mike yelled down the stairs.

"Don't speak to me in that tone or you'll be making your own lunch." She yelled back.

As Mike flew down the stairs hair neat and face shaved he said, "Of course mom, you know I would be lost without _you_."

"Make sure you take that ride with James or you will be walking home after practice ok?"

"What ever mom, I'll be fine. See you at 7:30."

Mike then grabbed his bag and swung out the door. Running across the front yard, still glistening with the morning dew, he focused on the bus just pulling up to the curb across the road. Swearing at the pain he felt across his shoulder where his backpack dug into a deep gash, he sped up a little. Looking up he grinned at a friend, then out of nowhere a car horn and squealing tires made him look left. A beat up old Chevy van slammed on the breaks right beside him. His adrenaline pumping, he flipped off the driver. The driver looked dead tired, his beard slightly grown in from lack of a shave. His bloodshot eyes locked with Mikes, sending a cold wave of dread across his body and stopping his heart for a beat or two.

"Watch it asshole, you nearly killed me!" Mike yelled with a cold sweat still draining across the underside of his skin.

Without a retort the driver peeled away, continuing to stare at Mike in the mirror until he had rounded the next corner. "Idiot," Mike mumbled. A blare from the bus horn caught his attention and he jogged across the road and into the bus.

"Watch yourself," the driver said.

"No big deal, he just wasn't lookin," Mike said with a grin.

Sitting down next to a pretty girl named Sarah, he put on a heroic far off look. "That was so scary, are you ok?" she asked. Mike replied, "No big deal trust me, the jerk just wasn't paying attention.

Turning away he thought back to the near accident. The look in the drivers eyes, he was… what was it; something was wrong about the driver. Mike hadn't seen him before but something stood out in his memory. The driver's eyes, dark brown eyes, eyes filled with terror. But why was he so scared? Sure he had almost run me over, thought Mike, but I was fine…. I guess he musta been scared pretty bad. If I see him again I'll apologize, Mike resigned.

He chatted up Sarah again and threw a light punch at his friend Kyle over the front of his seat. Being sophomores they were in the middle of the bus because they were too cool to sit up with the freshman, but not cool enough to sit in back with the juniors and seniors. Being one of the lucky sophomores on the varsity team he knew a lot of people and was pretty popular. Mike wasn't really that stuck up and didn't care who was "in" and who was "out." Whoever was nearby was getting pulled into a conversation whether they liked it or not.

Kyle then looked seriously at Mike. "Hey are you feeling better? You were pretty off, ya now last week… And after that night two weeks ago, well you have been acting a little strange."

With a pained grimace Mike replied, "Im dying man, only got one month left to live. Its all your fault, I hope you're happy."

"No really man, I'm serious. What ever, never mind. It was just that I am still a little shaken up too that's all."

"Well I hope you get over it, cause coach has been getting quite pissed off at you for slacking at practice, and I am not in the mood for any extra up downs. Ok?"

"We both know that wasn't my fault Mike, that damn senior Jake was just in my face. I wasn't about to bend over or just let him push me around."

"I was there for you one hundred percent, but he was just messing around. You need to learn to chill a little, ok?"

"What ever." Kyle ended.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 

Entering school Mike dropped his bags off at his first period class, gym. Walking through the quiet halls he felt calm. After the scare this morning he definitely needed a little space. Ever since that night two weeks ago, he felt confused… Looking forward he saw two juniors sitting down on the ground by some lockers. They were looking into each other's eyes, confident that the future would be clear with their love. Envy flared up in Mike, why was his life so crazy? His only true interest moved away last year to the West Coast, leaving him alone and sad.

He walked into the nearest bathroom and looked into the mirror. He was average height for a 16 year old; with medium length brown hair just barely covered his eyes. Reaching down he turned a grimy faucet on and splashed some water onto his face. The crisp cold water helped wake him up a little but didn't soothe his troubled mind. He left the bathroom, nodded his head in greeting to a few people he knew, and then leaned against a locker in a deserted hall. He started to think of the past few days, maybe his parents actually knew about the Incident, maybe he should tell them…

And now that driver this morning, remembering those eyes, it just sent shivers down his back. "Dammit why am I going all shizo-paranoid?" he thought. Sliding down the locker he closed his eyes. As more students entered he felt their footsteps reverberating down the halls as well as their happy hopes and dreams of a new day. As the tide washed over him he stood up and started to walk back to the gym lockers.

As he neared the last stretch of hall before his locker he ran into a clump of some players from the team. From here the black and red Eagles logos stood out like a warning sign, like birds of prey ready to attack any who disgraced the land around them. A confrontation was unavoidable. After what Kyle had said and almost done, somebody had to pay. _"Why wouldn't Kyle just have backed down and apologized for scratching Jake's car?" Thought Mike. No big deal a small "Oh shit dude I'm sorry here's $80 bucks," would have sufficed. But no, Kyle got up in his face and told him to screw off. I shouldn't have butt in at that point and shove two of Jake's cronies off of Kyle, but how could I leave my friend there about to get the crap beaten out of him?"_

Looking straight ahead Mike walked along the side of the hall. As he passed the players he let out a deep breath, the breath of the condemned set free, and he aimed towards the locker rooms. But, a call of "Yo Shaw get over here." Caused him to end his sigh short. Steadying himself he heard the calls continue: "Ya Shaw, You heard the man. You gotta explain your friend for us"

Mike turned around, standing tall and walked over to Jake. "Look, Kyle messed up ok? He will get your car fixed no big deal. He doesn't want any problems either. Yeah, and um, Steve I'm sorry for pushing you around. Ok?"

"We both know this isn't about you. Get your friend to pay up all right? Yeah you guys screwed up, better not happen again or I swear I'll…" The bell rang as Jake's threat fell to pieces around him.

Mike turned and walked away. That was not really how he had intended that to go down, but at least some general calm had been reached.

Getting into the locker room Coach Brown called attendance and read out the announcements. Literary Club wasn't meeting today; the smoking in the bathroom was going to go down now before the cops got involved; and on and on. Mike just focused on getting dressed until he heard Coach Brown mention the old Quarry a short ways away. Startled Mike turned to look at Coach Brown and accidentally dropped his shirt that he was trying to put on.

"… And anyone who knows about the incident should report it to the office immediately." finished Coach Brown.

"So what happened coach?" asked a freshman. "Did some kids really get high and trash up some nearby buildings?"

"Doesn't matter, but if you know anything report it immediately ok? At least one student here was hurt, and the administration is worried that other students might be too."

Looking away, Mike closed his eyes and tried to block out the memory. Getting a ride from James over to the Quarry; meeting up with Kyle and some other people on the team. The old pre-game hangout spot had been blocked off because two seniors had started a bonfire that had gotten out of control. Everyone on the team was pissed until someone mentioned the abandoned quarry and how it would be a sweet place to meet up.

_As the night wore down and the music lowered, people started to leave. A few drivers that were too bombed to go home had friends drive them and vowed to pick up their cars in the morning. Kyle, being 17, decided to try and drive home taking Mike with him. On the way out Kyle scratched against Jake's old junker of a car. Freaking out he sped off on an old dirt road with a chain across it. With a gunshot the chain snapped and tore to the sides of the car. The end of one chain smashed out one headlight and left the other askew. _

_Half blind he sped down the road, lost and unsure. Following the twists and turns he didn't stop. Maybe he had drunken more than he thought, whatever the reason his ability to respond to the road was worse then he had anticipated. Then the right front tire smashed into a deadly root, catapulting the driver and passenger around in the car, and tossing the car down a steep stream bank. As hours passed the car continued to fall down the bank in slow motion until it lay passenger side down. Mike and Kyle both shifted their weight and the car smashed down leaving the wreckage right side up. Mike looked over at Kyle just as he went limp and his eyes shut. The haunted look on his face as blood streamed down it from a broken nose fluttered across Mike's mind._

Mike shivered and looked up to see Coach frowning at him.

"Hurry up or I will have to mark you as late and unprepared for the day."

"Sorry Coach… I'll be quick."

"Shaw are you ok? You seem, distracted."

"Nah, I'm fine, really… just a little tired no big deal."


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 

The rest of the periods flew by as Mike struggled to stay awake. Being Monday tiredness was expected, but the disorientation was much more than the usual: stayed up too late or drank too much. He couldn't focus on school and before he noticed it was lunch. Entering the cafeteria he opened his backpack and fished around for the lunch his mom made for him. After searching for two minutes he realized he had left it on the counter this morning.

Frustrated he left his bag at a bench and walked over to the lunch line. The gourmet meal of the day was Refried Beans and Braised Beef. Mike leaned back and let lose a huge yawn. A sudden burst of pain brought tears to his eyes as he almost tore open the semi-closed scar that went across his shoulder. "Why did I agree to go with him into his fricken death trap of a car," he thought. Frustrated, he didn't even notice Sarah walk up behind him and stand in line. Feeling a tap on his shoulder turned around quickly and almost knocked over her tray. As his cheeks turned red and she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear she said, "Hey, how are ya?"

Not really in the mood for playful banter he quickly stuttered out, "Busy, I can't really talk now. Maybe later, after practice ok? I'm leavin' at 7:00 with James, but maybe we can talk, for like 5 minutes, before I leave." With a forced smile he walked away. Realizing that he was supposed to be "busy", he headed towards the library with no plan in mind. Just as he scooped down to grab his bag he started to get a feeling of vertigo. His hands and legs fell asleep as a thousand needles softly pricked his back and chest. As the walls started spinning he remembered metal ducts and rock collapsing all around him. And as the klaxons roared he drifted off to a deep abyss.

_In front of him Kyle stood hunched over a little nursing a badly scratched arm. "Quick over here into the tunnels, I can see Jake's headlights!" he called out to Mike. _

_"Dude lets just go face him now, you're bleeding pretty bad and I have one helluva headache." Mike called back._

_"No, I cant, I, I, I wont. He'll be so pissed. I cant, I just cant right now. I dunno. Lets just go I think there is a cave over here lets just spend a minute come-on, I think he is getting closer." He stuttered out. _

_The shrillness of his voice and slurring of his words rang like a gunshot. "Damn he is so scared," thought Mike. _

_So Mike let him have his way and followed the echoes of his voice, bouncing off the trees and rocks around them. Mike looked around a tree and saw Kyle standing there, peering into a boarded up entrance that left just enough space for a slender person to slide by. With difficulty they both slipped past the damp and rotten boards. Mike then pulled out his keychain flashlight and looked around them. He heard a faint whirring over Kyle's barely concealed sobs. Following a whim Mike marched forward deeper into the tunnel. As he got deeper he noticed footprints, as well as a clacking sound over the whirr. Turning around he saw Kyle's face, tears streaming cheeks red. Man he was messed up. He pointed up at the ceiling, "Look at those support beams, they haven't rusted at all," he whimpered out. True, they looked shiny and new, but the "support beams" had a fan attached to one end, while the other went straight into a wall. As Mike realized that the ventilation shafts were the source of the noise and vibrations, a small popping noise grabbed his attention. Looking to his right he saw Kyle pulling himself up onto the vents and looking inside. A sharp crack pierced the thick cavern air and a huge section of the vent pulled free from the wall. Kyle barley started to cry out as the floor and wall started to cave in!_

_Tangled among rocks and wire Mike floated in a dream of confusion. People in large orange suits with some strange symbol on them worked quickly and methodically, spraying frothy white foam over the whole room. A red light strobed on the wall, but all Mike heard was a deadly calm silence. A man stood over him, took some piece of metal and jabbed it into Mike's arm. A moment of pain was followed by a timeless sensation as Mike lost consciousness for the last time._


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 

"_Mrs. Shaw, this is the school nurse calling about your son."_

"_Mike? Is he hurt?"_

"_About an hour and a half ago he passed out. He is up and resting right now."_

"_Does he need to see a doctor?"_

"_We don't believe he is sick. He is probably just a little dehydrated, maybe even a little overstressed from school. Ill ask him, but I don't think he needs to go…"_

Mike had woken up to the harsh white lights an overpowering stench of bleach and soap. Rubbing his eyes and turning on his side he looked around the room. Pointless posters advocating resistance against Drugs, Alcohol, Sex, and Violence dotted the barren walls. A large clock ticked away on the wall, second by second. Sitting up and leaning against the wall he had then noticed the homely nurse coming towards him.

"Son, how are you feeling?" she inquired. As Mike racked his brain in an attempt to remember the last moments before he blacked out, he stammered an unconvincing "I'm fine, I guess." The nurse walked back into her office and picked up a phone. A few words floated back to Mike as he swung his legs to one side of the bed, and grabbed his bag. "…_fine, but I would recommend a check up from his doctor just in case. There is no need for…" _Realizing the nurse was talking about him he cleared his throat.

"I feel fine, really, can I go now?"

The nurse muttered a quick "hold on" into the pone and wattled over. "If you honestly feel up to going back to class then fine. Just make sure to drink a lot of fluids ok?"

"Whatever" he replied. He reached for the attendance sheet, signed out and grabbed a pass for his next class. He handed her the note and she promptly signed it. She then escorted Mike out into the hall and warned him not to exert himself too much for the next day or so.

Still feeling a little dazed Mike walked off in the wrong direction for his next class. He scuffed his shoe on a pencil on the ground, and tried to piece together the fleeting images from his dream. Those guys in the suits did that really happen, he wondered. The crash, the cuts, they were all real. Kyle's suspended license and the pain across Mikes back all testified towards that. The only weird part was that they had been found 10 miles from the car, lying just off a small road. Even weirder were the red irritations on the crooks of their right elbows.

Why would the cops lie? That's what Kyle said when Mike asked him what he remembered of the crash. And why would they need too? But how had the car gotten so far away from the old mine? It just didn't make sense to Mike. Kyle had just attributed the mysteries of that night to too much alcohol. But even he was a little curious about how they had covered so much distance without even realizing it. Mike had woken up before Kyle, disoriented and scared. Using his phone he called an operator and sent for a taxi. Leaving Kyle, he had called 911, reported the accident, and told the taxi driver directions to get to his house. When he arrived home he went straight upstairs and took a shower. After he had washed up and cleaned his cuts, he got dressed. Sitting on his bed pulling on some fresh socks he had looked over at his clock. 8:34 A.M. It made no sense to him, where had the last nine hours gone? He called in sick from school that day.

Not really sure were he was heading; Mike made a right turn and started to go outside. The wind was just starting to blow as he pushed the rusty red door open exposing himself to the biting October air. He walked along the cracked concrete and out towards the new football field. Lying down on the bleachers he cringed at himself. Sorting out That night was a lost cause, but dammit he had to know. Why would someone move the car? Mike was convinced that Kyle was way to zoned out to have driven them, so someone must have moved them. But for what reason? The thought of it all just made Mike's head hurt.

After a while Mike started to feel quite cold so he decided to head back to a class. As he glanced at his watch he felt some small satisfaction that school would end in a few minutes. He decided to head over to the sports changing room to get into his football gear for practice. He felt much better and decided to forgo the nurses warning. "I can always cut out if I get to tired," he had reasoned.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 

"I said GIT YOU LAZY ASSES MOVING! Nobody here is leaving till all ten laps are done. Ya don't do em fast enough, yall git another 10. SO MOVE."

As practice wound down with the normal laps, Kyle maneuvered his way through the hurtling mass of players. "Hey man I was looking for you at lunch." He said. "Then I saw you drop like a rock. Why are you at practice?"

"Im fine really," Mike replied. "I just was a little tired, no problemo ."


End file.
